Yes, Sir
by Vietta
Summary: A headcannon about Reno's childhood. Made for my Reno RP page on Tumblr.


"Yes, Sir." Reno sniffled, tears streaming down his young, thin face. He rubbed his rear, which felt raw from the stinging spanks that Sir, his caretaker, had given him earlier. The way to his room was cluttered, filled with the merchandise that Sir sold in his junk shop in Sector Seven, but Reno navigated through the labyrinthian maze of odds and ends with practiced ease despite the tears blurring his vision. A mass of tangled, shoddy blankets on a thin and tattered cot served as his bed, but at six years old he wasn't quite mature enough to realize how poor the conditions he and Sir lived in really were. In Reno's young, naive mind he and Sir lived well. They had a roof to sleep under and food to eat and everyone was so afraid of gruff, surly Sir that no one stole from them anymore. Compared to how he saw other people in the slums living, Reno felt spoiled.

As he lay down and cried, however, wrapped up in those dirty moth-eaten blankets, he felt very un-spoiled.

A caramel candy was the reason for the six-year old's current state; a caramel candy that he had stolen from a shop run by an old woman who lived just down the street. He had brought it home to hide and eat later, but hadn't realized that Sir knew the elderly shopkeep very well and that she had told him what he had done. When he had gotten home, his saran wrapped caramel prize hidden deep within the pocket of his far too large shirt, he had been surprised to find Sir waiting at the small, rickety card table that was in the same state of shoddy yet still functional disrepair as everything else in the house.

Sir had looked down at him, his glasses folded on the table beside him. Reno knew Sur was serious when his glasses were off.

Reno had immediately started his chores once he had spotted the glasses, which had one crack in the left lens, sitting on the table by Sir's elbow. He smiled cheerfully as he began getting out some perpetually greasy dishes to set the table for dinner, his caramel feeling like a cement brick in his pocket. He stood on tip-toe to set Sir's plate in front of him, trying to sound cheerful. "You okay, Sir?"

"Turn out your pockets, Reno." Sir's voice held an eerie calm that belied his mounted anger.

Reno gulped and set his plate at his seat, not meeting Sir's eyes as he went to get silverware. "Ain't got nuthin' in my pockets, Sir." The caramel felt even heavier and Reno was certain that Sir could see right through his shirt pocket. Renow as too young to realize that anything hidden in a shirt pocket was easily seen, especially when that particular shirt was full of holes.

Sir frowned and held out his hand. "Don't lie ta me, Reno. I know what ya got. Pass it over."

Reno felt his knees tremble as he reached into his pocket, Sir's bright blue eyes boring into his own. He brought out his ill-gotten gain and laid it in Sir's large, outstretched hand. Even at six he knew one thing for certain.

He was in so much trouble.

Sir had only spanked him two times. Once for stealing, and once for lying about it. Then Sir had taken him, still crying, down the street and had forced him to apologize to the old woman for stealing. Through his tears, he had given a most sincere apology. However, the sincerity in that apology lay, as it does with all children that age, in the remorse at having been caught. Sir had made him pass back the candy into the elderly woman's wrinkled hand and once he had, she had gently patted his hair and accepted the apology.

After that, Sir had taken him home, still crying, and sent him to bed without supper.

Now Reno lay in bed, still crying under his covers. He was hungry and, as his stomach rumbled and growled at him loudly, he felt very sorry for himself. He swore quietly to himself as he shivered in his bed, the ache in his rear subsiding as the ache in his belly intensified, that he would never get caught again.

The next morning Reno cooked and ate his breakfast so quickly that he was finished and was cleaning his place before Sir had even woken up to gruffly ask for his coffee, which was all he had for breakfast in the morning. As Reno cleaned the card table with a grungy rag that really only pushed the dirt around on the table he began to wonder if Sir was still upset at him. He decided that the best way to get Sir happy with him again was to get all of his chores done and so the determined six year old started cleaning as best as he knew how.

Reno was clumsily trying to sweep when Sir woke up, his attempts to clean painfully ineffective. It wasn't Reno's fault, however; everything in the slums carried with it a perpetual film of grease and uncleanliness that was impossible to truly be rid of. Few people were truly clean in the slums; they didn't have the money to spend on the cleaning materials to get their homes truly clean but they all did what they could. Sir sat at the table and rubbed his unshaven face in his hands, waiting for Reno to bring him his breakfast. When Reno set the mug of light brown coffee in front of him, he arched one blonde eyebrow. "We outta coffee grounds, Reno?"

Reno nodded, climbing into his chair to sit across from Sir and drink his mug of hot water. Reno didn't like coffee, but he wanted to imitate Sir so every morning he heated up water to drink. "Yeah, there's no coffee dirt left."

Sir groaned with despair and drank the pitifully weak coffee. "Guess I've gotta go into town and go shopping then. You want anything?"

"New milk. The old milk smells now." Reno wrinkled his nose. He had opened the jug this morning to put milk in his instant oatmeal and had been greeted by a rotted smell. Luckily, he had enough sense not to drink it. He had ignored that smell once and had thoroughly learned his lesson.

Sir smirked into his coffee. "Guess yer not drinkin' it as fast anymore, huh, buddy?"

Reno shook his head and sipped his water, legs swinging idly. "No, I don't drink it so much cuz' I ran outta chocolate." Reno adored chocolate milk. It was his favorite drink.

"I'll get some chocolate too then." Sir set down his coffee, giving up on the weak and disappointing attempt at a beverage. "Ya need ta take a bath this mornin'. Yer ma is comin' ta see ya."

Reno's bright blue eyes widened and his thin brown eyebrows disappeated into his vibrant red hair. He beamed, gaps in his smile where teeth were missing making his look of childish glee seem slightly manic. His voice squeaked and he nearly stood in his chair. "Ma is comin'? For real, Sir?"

Sir nodded and covered his ears as Reno shrieked with glee and jumped down from his chair, latching onto Sir's side and hugging him as tightly as his bone thin arms could manage. Sir peeled the bounding child off of him with difficulty and quickly redirected his energy. "Take a bath! Ya smell!"

Reno blinked and sniffed his arm, frowning indignantly at Sir. "I don't stink ya liar! I smell like me!"

Sir snorted and gave Reno a gentle shove towards their small, dingy bathroom. "Ya do too stink, ya bugger. What would yer ma think if she saw ya all dirty?"

"I dunno." Reno's answer was honest and innocent but it cut Sir's smile to shreds. Reno truly had no idea what his mother really thought of him. How could he know what she thought about anything he did when she was never there to see him? As Reno gently tottered off to bathe, Sir could only sigh and run a calloused hand through his hair. Reno's mother was a whore, plain and simple. She worked for Don Corneo and had been working for him for as long as Reno had been alive and only a little longer. She had barely weaned him before Corneo had called her back to work, his customer's wallets crying louder than her infant son. Rachel had gone, leaving Reno with Sir and only looking back once every few months. She was probably hooked on drugs now, Sir mused as he cleaned the dishes, and no matter what was done she wouldn't be coming home to be Reno's mother anytime soon. She lived at quarters provided by the Don for all the whores who worked for him and she came to see Reno whenever she got the chance. If Reno could say one nice thing about Rachel, it was that she always tried to send money for Reno so that Sir could take care of him. She didn't send much, but she did at least send something. The Don had her so deeply indebted to him that she'd never get out, but Sir thought it a positive note to her character that she at least tried to provide for her child.

Reno frowned at the tub that he'd filled, his nose wrinkling with distaste. The water was kinda warm, as warm as their shoddy heater would ever be able to get it, but Reno still didn't want to get in. He hated baths. Soap smelled funny, felt funny, and to his young mind the entire process seemed like an enormous waste of his time.

"I don't hear splashin!" Sir's voice called out from the other side of the door. "Get yer ass in the water of I'll kick it!"

"Awright! I'm goin'!" Reno called back, striping down and grumbling as he got into the tub. He hoped that Sir didn't tell his mom about him stealing. He didn't want her to know.

Once he was clean, dressed, and had brushed his hair, all with much grumbling from Reno and Sir, Reno was allowed to go outside to play. It was summer so there was no school and all of the kids Reno's age were outside as a result. Reno wasn't going to stray too far from the junk shop today, not when his mom was coming to visit, but he was playing far enough away that he was out of Sir's sight.

His friends weren't hard to find, they always played in the abandoned lot near Sector Eight. Rumor was that Shinra had cleared the lot years ago to make an outpost for Soldier so that they could better police the slums, but the abandoned equipment and abundant weed growth in the few areas where sunlight as available showed how devoted Shinra had been to the project. Reno's friends were playing tag in the middle of this mess that was likely unsafe for children. Reno ran up to them, eager to join in on the fun. "Hey, guys!"

Another boy his age quickly tagged him and Reno was inducted into the game.

They spent a few hours playing, switching from game to game as their whims suited them. Reno did his very best to stay clean for Sir, but more than a little dirt got on his clothes and face. When they all finally stopped, too worn out to run around anymore, they sat on the ground ina circle. Reno thought about going home, but Sir hadn't called for him yet so he knew lunch wasn't ready and his mom hadn't shown up yet, so if he went home he'd likely end up just getting in Sir's way.

"Hey, Reno, ya in la-la-land?" The boy who had tagged him earlier, Collin, waved a hand in front of his face. Apparently they had been trying to get his attention.

Reno smiled apologetically. "Yeah, sorry."

"What's with ya today, Reno? Y aaren't playin' as hard as normal. Ya ran way slow!" One of the older boys spoke now, a nearly three year age gap between him and the younger boys making him undisputed leader of the little group. It had been his idea for them all to go and steal candy the night before and Reno hadn't even thought about questioning the decision and neither had the other boys who had all eaten their candy and gone unpunished for the theft.

"I'm sorry. I'm just tryin' ta stay clean. My ma is comin' home today." Reno bounced a little and brushed dirt from his blood red hair with his hands. He could hardly contain his excitement. He missed his Ma so much! It had been forever since he had seen her last.

"Yer ma ain't comin', Reno." The older boy, Allen, scoffed teasingly while the other boys giggled. "Yer ma never comes."

Reno stopped and frowned, glaring daggers at Allen. How could he say something so mean? " Yeah she will! She said she would!"

"Yer ma ain't comin' 'cause she's a lyin' whore. My da told me so. He said that's why ya ain't got a da and hafta stay with that jerk Sir." Allen sneered, his pudgy, dirt lined face suddenly looking grotesque in Reno's eyes as the older boy enjoyed the pain his words caused.

"Shut up! Yer da is a liar!" Reno stood quickly, his hands balled into tiny fists at his sides. No one got away with saying that stuff about his ma! He wouldn't stand for it! She was great and wonderful and just because she worked all the time didn't mean she was bad!

Allen stood, easily towering over Reno. "What'd ya say, Reno."

Reno screamed his next words, stomping aggressively on the dirt. "I SAID YER DA IS A LIAR!" Reno had never been so angry before. He had never thought about saying something so mean to Allen. Allen was bigger than him and Reno had looked up to him!

At least, he had until about thirty seconds ago.

Allen's pudgy fist smashed into Reno's eye, the blow catching Reno by surprise and knocking him to the ground. Allen's large fist had been able to hit nearly the entire left side of his face. Reno sat in shock for a moment, blood gushing from his nose and spilling onto his shirt.

It was Reno's first experience with violence. He had never been in a fight in his life. He was young and generally so easy going that no one ever thought to hurt him. He touched a small hand to his bleeding nose, his eye shut and starting to swell. Allen loomed over him, an oppressively large figure in the weak light that leaked down from the upper plate above them. Reno scooted back across the dirt as Allen advanced, pointing a pudgy finger at him. Allen's voice was cold as he spoke. "Take it back or else!"

Reno felt fear first, but the anger that followed was so commanding that any fear was pressed immediately out of his mind. He grit his teeth and stood, feeling very small next to the much larger boy. All the other boys had circled around now, so torn between rooting for a fight and being scared of actually seeing one that the silence was palpable. Reno broke it, his words carrying venom that was too strong for such a young throat to wield. "Make me!"

Allen did indeed make Reno take it back. The other boys all watched in silence as Reno was pummeled, each too afraid to do anything to help him. When Allen was finally done and Reno and took the other boys out of the lot, Reno picked himself up off the ground. He was in so much pain. His eyes were both black and puffy and his entire face seemed to be swollen. Allen had sat on his chest and punched all of him he could reach, his tender face an easy target until Reno had been able to block his face with his arms. He was in too much pain to cry and, as he stood and coughed, his chest hurting from the press of Allen's weight against his lungs, he coughed out a tooth that had been loose before the fight. He put the tooth in his pocket, wondering if the tooth fairy still gave a piece of candy to little kids who lost their teeth in fights.

Sir had called for him a little while ago, while Allen had still been slamming his fat fists against Reno's face and arms, and Reno was just sure that he was going to be in trouble. He had gotten dirty, he hadn't shown up when he was called, and worst of all he had gotten into a fight. He had no idea what Sir would do about that. Unlaced shoes dragged through the dirt as Reno trudged home, his head down in shame and pain as he prepared for the spanking of a lifetime.

Sir was standing at the door, his brow furrowed as bright eyes scanned the narrow street. Had Reno not heard him? He was preparing to yell again when he caught sight of a tiny, bright red head coming towards him on slow legs. Reno was never that slow when food was involved and Sir was immediately running down the street, his heart racing with worry and panic.

Reno yelped as Sir put his hands on his shoulders and knelt in front of him, his entire body seeming to ache with pain. "Look at me, Reno." He did what he was told, raising his tiny chin and looking Sir in the eyes as best as he could. A sharp intake of breath rang through his ears and Reno quickly opened his mouth to explain what had happened, but Sir was already scooping him up, cradling him close to his chest and running home with him. Reno held tight to Sir's thin white shirt as he was quickly whisked inside, his confusion mounting as Sir reached into the fridge, pulled out a pack of peas, and wrapped it in a rag. He tried to tell Sir that he didn't want any peas, but before he could say anything Sir had pressed the makeshift icepack to his face. Reno sighed in relief as the cold took some of the swelling, burning pain out of his face, and he held the bag himself. He had thought that there was nothing good about peas, but he had thought wrong!

The recliner creaked with their combined weight as sir say, holding Reno to his chest. The physical display of affection was not common between them. Sir rarely touched anyone and while he never refused Reno's hugs, he rarely returned them. As Sir sat and stroked a calloused, work-torn hand through Reno's dirt matted red hair, Reno felt the urge to sob grow. He could feel the sorrow and pain at what had happened begin to rear up through his chest and, as Sir held him close to his heart without any questions, Reno couldn't help but cry into the grimy rag the peas were wrapped in. He could heart Sir's heart pounding under his ear, the rattle of his breathing accentuated by the hammering blows of blood being forced through his veins. The sounds were soothing and, as Reno cried, his tiny heart aching, he began feeling better.

Once Reno had cried himself to sleep, Sir set him in his bed, tucking him in neatly and replacing the pack of peas with a cool wet cloth. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the phone on the wall, a sudden ringing threatening to wake Reno from his less than peaceful slumber. Sir quickly answered; his voice curt and weary. "Sir, here."

_"Sir, its Rachel."_

Sir nearly swore into the receiver. He should have expected this. Rachel always did this to Reno. "You're cancelling on him again, aren't you?"

Rachel's voice was sincerely tear-filled as she spoke, the quiver in her voice reminding him of past conversations with her that he'd rather not re-live. _"Corneo…won't let me leave. I'm so sorry."_

"What am I supposed to tell the kid this time? Huh? Eventually, Rachel, he's just going to think you hate him." Sir's voice was low, intent on not waking Reno, but the bite to his words was forceful enough to get his point across.

_"You know I love him!"_ Rachel all but screamed into the receiver, her voice shaking.

"And how is he supposed to know?" Sir slammed the receiver down, not willing to talk to Rachel anymore. This was not the first time she had cancelled on visiting her son. There were times when Sir wished that she would just come unannounced so she could surprise her son instead of disappointing him every damned time she tried to be a mother and failed. Sir ran a hand over his face, looking back into the little room where Reno laid, his sleeping face hidden by the once-white cloth that was draped over it. He quietly shut the door to the room, doing his best to resume his normal activities as if nothing had happened. Reno would be crying himself to sleep again that night and there was absolutely nothing Sir could do about it.

* * *

**Author's Note: This is a headcannon story for the Reno RP page I have on tumblr (Renothe is the username if anyone wants to start following me!)**

**There will be a part two, in time. Perhaps even a part three. For now, enjoy part one of Reno's depressing as hell childhood!**


End file.
